1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a vehicle-pedal-backward-displacement preventing device for preventing a depressable portion of a vehicle operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward a vehicle operator""s seat in the event of displacement of a dash panel toward the vehicle operator""s seat.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There is widely known an operating pedal of a vehicle, such as a brake pedal and an accelerating pedal, which is pivotably supported by a pedal bracket attached to a dash panel of the vehicle and which has in its lower end portion a depressable portion to be depressed in a forward direction of the vehicle by an operator of the vehicle, wherein the operating pedal is pivotable about an axis that is substantially parallel to a horizontal direction and a transversal (right and left) direction of the vehicle. There is proposed a vehicle-pedal-backward-displacement preventing device for preventing the depressable portion of the operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward a vehicle operator""s seat in the event of displacement of the dash panel toward the operator""s seat, for example, due to an accidental application of large load to a front portion of the vehicle in the backward direction of the vehicle. An example of such a vehicle-pedal-backward-displacement preventing device is disclosed in JP-A-H9-123948 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 1997) In this device disclosed in JP-A-H9-123948, a bracket is buckled or deformed together with deformation of a dash panel, in such a direction that causes a pivot axis of an operating pedal to be displaced backwardly along an elongated hole which is formed through the bracket, whereby the operating pedal is pivoted about a connection point, at which the operating pedal is connected with an operating (push) rod, in such a direction that causes a pedal pad (depressable portion) of the pedal to be forwardly displaced. A device disclosed in JP-A-2001-114135 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 2001) also utilizes an operating (push) rod connected with an operating pedal, for thereby preventing a pedal pad of the pedal from being backwardly displaced. A device disclosed in JP-A-2001-163196 (publication of unexamined Japanese Patent Application laid open in 2001) has, in addition to a first bracket which supports an operating pedal, a second bracket which is connected with the first bracket and a reinforcement member located within a passenger compartment, such that the second bracket is disconnected from the first bracket upon deformation of the dash panel, and is then brought into abutting contact with the operating pedal, whereby the operating pedal is pivoted in such a direction that prevents a pedal of the pedal from being backwardly displaced.
However, in the device disclosed in JP-A-H9-123948 which is designed on the assumption that the dash panel is displaced in a larger amount than the connection point, it is not possible to satisfactorily prevent backward displacement of the pedal pad of the operating pedal, for example, where the displacement amount of the dash panel is not larger than that of the connection point by at least a certain amount, or where the displacement amount of the dash panel is small. Further, the device of JP-A-H9-123948 can not be used for an operating pedal of a parking brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod connected with the operating pedal. The device of JP-A-2001-114135 can not be used for an operating pedal of such a brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod, either.
The device disclosed in JP-A-2001-163196 has difficulty in designing and manufacturing, particularly, its structure required for the connection of the first and second brackets, because the structure necessarily has to permit the first and second brackets to be assuredly disconnected from each other in the event of deformation of the dash panel, while reliably maintaining the connection of the two brackets with a high strength during a routine pedaling operation except in the event of deformation of the dash panel.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pedal-backward-displacement preventing device, which is capable of satisfactorily preventing a depressable portion of an operating pedal from being backwardly displaced toward an operator""s seat even where a dash panel is displaced in a small amount, which can be used for even an operating pedal of a parking brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod connected with the operating pedal, and which is relatively easy to be designed and manufactured. This object may be achieved according to any one of first through ninth aspects of this invention which are described below.
The first aspect of the invention provides a pedal-backward-displacement preventing device for a vehicle having a dash panel, a pedal bracket attached to the dash panel, and an operating pedal pivotally supported by the pedal bracket and having in a lower end portion thereof a depressable portion to be depressed in a forward direction of the vehicle by an operator of the vehicle. The pedal-backward-displacement preventing device is capable of preventing the depressable portion of the operating pedal from being displaced in a backward direction of the vehicle toward an operator""s seat of the vehicle when the dash panel is displaced toward the operator""s seat. The pedal-backward-displacement preventing device includes a connecting member which is disposed between the pedal bracket and a reinforcement member of the vehicle and connects the pedal bracket with the reinforcement member, and which is deformable in the event of displacement of the dash panel toward the operator""s seat, wherein the connecting member includes a contactable portion which is to be brought into contact with the operating pedal upon deformation of the connecting member, for thereby causing the operating pedal to be pivoted in such a direction that causes the depressable portion to be displaced in the forward direction of the vehicle.
According to the second aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the first aspect of the invention, the operating pedal is pivotable about an axis which is substantially parallel to a transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the connecting member is deformable by displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member when the pedal bracket together with the dash panel is displaced toward the operator""s seat.
According to the third aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the second aspect of the invention, the connecting member is connected with at least one of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member such that the connecting member is pivotable about the axis relative to the above-described at least one of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member, wherein the connecting member is, upon deformation thereof due to the displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member, pivotable about the axis in such a direction that causes the contactable portion to be brought into contact with the operating pedal, for thereby causing the operating pedal to be pivoted about the axis.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the third aspect of the invention, the operating pedal and the connecting member are connected with the pedal bracket through a common support shaft whose axis corresponds to the axis.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in any one of the first through fourth aspects of the invention, the operating pedal is pivotable about a first axis which is substantially parallel to a transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the connecting member is deformable by displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member when the pedal bracket together with the dash panel is displaced toward the operator""s seat, wherein the connecting member is connected with at least one of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member such that the connecting member is pivotable relative to the at least one of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member about a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis, and wherein the connecting member is, upon deformation thereof due to the displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member, pivotable about the second axis in such a direction that causes the contactable portion to be brought into contact with the operating pedal, for thereby causing the operating pedal to be pivoted about the first axis.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the fifth aspect of the invention, the first axis and the second axis are spaced apart from each other, wherein the operating pedal is connected with the pedal bracket through a first support shaft whose axis corresponds to the first axis, while the connecting member is connected with the pedal bracket through a second support shaft whose axis corresponds to the second axis.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the second through sixth aspects aspect of the invention, the contactable portion of the connecting member is brought into contact with a contactable portion of the operating pedal which is close to the axis such that a ratio of a distance between the axis and the depressable portion to a distance between the axis and the contactable portion of the operating pedal is not smaller than three.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in any one of the first through seventh aspects of the invention, the connecting member includes a deformable portion which has a lower degree of rigidity than the pedal bracket and which is deformable to have a predetermined deformed shape when the pedal bracket together with the dash panel is displaced toward the operator""s seat in the event of the displacement of the dash panel toward the operator""s seat.
According to the ninth aspect of the invention, in the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in any one of the first through eighth aspects of the invention, the operating pedal is a parking brake pedal which is to be depressed at the depressable portion by a foot of the operator, for pulling a brake cable so as to generate a braking force.
The pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in each of the first through tenth aspects of the invention includes the connecting member which is disposed between the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member. The connecting member is plastically deformable owing to displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member, when the pedal bracket together with the dash panel is displaced toward the operator""s seat in the event of displacement of the dash panel toward the operator""s seat. The deformation of the connecting member causes the contactable portion of the connecting member to be brought into abutting contact with the operating pedal, whereby the depressable portion of the operating pedal is displaced in the forward direction of the vehicle. In this arrangement, the operating pedal is pivoted in the forward direction of the vehicle by the deformation of the connecting member even where the amount of the displacement of the dash panel relative to the reinforcement member is small, so that a spacing distance between the depressable portion of the operating pedal and the operator""s seat is maintained irrespective of the displacement amount of the dash panel. The present pedal-backward-displacement preventing device has another technical advantage that the device can be used for even an operating pedal of a parking brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod connected with the operating pedal.
Further, the present pedal-backward-displacement preventing device, in which the backward displacement of the operating pedal is prevented owing to the deformation of the connecting member, can prevent the backward displacement of the operating pedal more reliably, and can be designed and manufactured more easily, than the conventional device which depends on disconnection of two members from each other for preventing the backward displacement of the operating pedal. It is noted that a ratio of the amount of pivot motion of the operating pedal to the amount of displacement of the dash panel (relative to the reinforcement member) can be easily adjusted, for example, by adjusting a ratio of the deformation amount of the connecting member to the displacement amount of the dash panel, a ratio of the amount of pivot motion of the connecting member to the displacement amount of the dash panel, or a position of the contactable portion of the operating pedal.
The depressable portion of the operating pedal is preferably displaced by the deformation of the dash panel, to be positioned on the forward side of the original position of the depressable portion of the operating pedal. However, the depressable portion may be somewhat displaced toward the operator""s seat in the backward direction of the vehicle, as long as the depressable portion is displaced relative to the axis (about which the operating pedal is pivoted) in the forward direction of the vehicle so that the backward displacement of the depressable portion relative to the operator""s seat is reduced owing to the arrangement defined in each aspect of the invention.
In the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the fourth aspect of the invention, the operating pedal and the connecting member are connected with the pedal bracket through the common support shaft whose axis corresponds to the axis about which the operating pedal is pivotable. This arrangement advantageously eliminates a necessity of provision of a shaft or other element which serves exclusively to connect the connecting member with the pedal bracket, thereby simplifying the construction of the device, and making it possible to manufacture the device at a reduced cost. Further, this arrangement permits utilization of a conventional pedal bracket, simply by connecting the conventional pedal bracket with the connecting member adapted to include the contactable portion, through the common support shaft.
In the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the fifth aspect of the invention, the connecting member is connected with the pedal bracket or the reinforcement member such that the connecting member is pivotable relative to the pedal bracket or the reinforcement member about the second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis about which the operating pedal is pivotable. The connecting member is, upon its deformation due to the displacement of the pedal bracket relative to the reinforcement member, pivoted about the second axis in such a direction that causes the contactable portion to be brought into abutting contact with the operating pedal, so that the abutting contact of the contactable portion of the connecting member causes the operating pedal to be pivoted about the first axis. This arrangement provides a higher degree of freedom in determining the above-described ratio of the amount of pivot motion of the operating pedal to the amount of displacement of the dash panel relative to the reinforcement member, thereby making it possible to pivot the operating pedal reliably in a larger amount, than where the pivot motion of the operating pedal is caused by only the deformation of the connecting member.
In the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the sixth aspect of the invention in which the first axis and the second axis are spaced apart from each other, it is possible to adjust the amount of the pivot motion of the connecting member about the second axis and the amount of the pivot motion of the operating pedal about the first axis, by adjusting a positional relationship between the second axis and a portion of the connecting member in which the connecting member is connected to the reinforcement member. This arrangement provides a higher degree of freedom in determining the above-described ratio, thereby making it possible to pivot the operating pedal reliably in a larger amount, than where the connecting member and the operating pedal are connected with the pedal bracket through the common support shaft as in the fourth aspect of the invention.
In the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the seventh aspect of the invention, the contactable portion of the connecting member is brought into contact with the contactable portion of the operating pedal, which portion is close to the axis (about which the operating pedal is pivotable), so that the depressable portion of the operating pedal can be forwardly displaced in a large amount even with a small amount of deformation of the connecting member or a small amount of pivot motion of the connecting member.
In the pedal-backward-displacement preventing device defined in the eighth aspect of the invention, the connecting member is provided with the deformable portion which is configured to have a lower degree of rigidity than the pedal bracket and to be deformable to have a predetermined deformed shape in the event of the displacement of the dash panel toward the operator""s seat, so that the operating pedal reliably pivoted as a result of the deformation of the connecting member, whereby the depressable portion of the operating pedal is assuredly displaced in the forward direction of the vehicle.
The principle of the present invention described above is advantageously applicable to, particularly, an operating pedal of a parking brake device which is not equipped with an operating rod connected with the operating pedal. However, the invention can be applied also to other types of operating pedals, each of which has in its lower end portion a depressable portion to be depressed in the forward direction of the vehicle, such as an accelerator pedal, a clutch pedal and a brake pedal of a service brake device which is equipped with an operating rod connected with the brake pedal.
The term xe2x80x9creinforcement memberxe2x80x9d of the vehicle may be interpreted to mean a member whose amount of backward displacement toward the operator""s seat (due to an application of large load to a front portion of the vehicle in the backward direction of the vehicle) is smaller than the dash panel, or a member which is less likely to be backwardly displaced than the dash panel. In this sense, the reinforcement member may be referred also to as a stationary member, while the dash panel may be considered as a movable member. The reinforcement member may be, for example, an instrument panel reinforcement member or a cowl panel of the vehicle. It is noted that the dash panel is a partition wall separating a passenger compartment and an engine room of the vehicle from each other.
The contactable portion may be formed integrally with the other portion of the connecting member, or may be formed independently of the other portion of the connecting member so that the independently formed contactable portion is attached to the other portion by a welding or other suitable means. Further, the contactable portion may be provided by a protrusion portion of the connecting member which is arranged to protrude toward the operating pedal, or may be provided by a flat portion of the connecting member. In the latter case, the operating pedal may be provided with a protrusion portion which is arranged to be brought into abutting contact with the flat portion as the contactable portion. That is, the contactable portion should be interpreted to mean a portion of the connecting member which is arranged to be brought into abutting contact with the operating pedal, and does not necessary have to have a protrusion or other particular configuration.
The connecting member is connected with the pedal bracket and/or the reinforcement member such that the connecting member is pivotable about the second axis relative to the pedal bracket and/or the reinforcement member in the device defined in the fifth or sixth aspect of the invention. However, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the connecting member may be fixed integrally to both of the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member, or may be connected to both of pedal bracket and the reinforcement member such that connecting member is pivotable relative to the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member.
In the device defined in the fifth or sixth aspect of the invention in which the connecting member is connected with the pedal bracket and/or the reinforcement member, the connecting member may be connected with the pedal bracket and/or the reinforcement member through a bolt and a nut, a pin and a retaining ring or other suitable means, such that the connecting member is pivotable about the second axis when the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member are displaced relative to each other, so that the contactable portion of the connecting member is pivotable about the second axis so as to be brought into abutting contact with the operating pedal. Where the connecting member is connected with the pedal bracket, the connecting member may be connected with the pedal bracket with a certain degree of strength so that the connecting member serves as a pedal support for supporting the pedal bracket with a predetermined degree of rigidity.
While the operating pedal and the connecting member are connected with the pedal bracket commonly through the one support shaft in the fourth aspect of the invention, the operating pedal and the connecting member may be connected with the pedal bracket through the respective support shafts which are parallel with each other and spaced apart from each other in the fifth aspect of the invention.
In the seventh aspect of the invention, the contactable portion of the operating pedal, with which the contactable portion of the connecting member is to be brought into abutting contact, is close to the axis about which the operating pedal is pivotable, such that the ratio of the distance between the axis and the depressable portion to the distance between the axis and the contactable portion of the operating pedal is not smaller than three, preferably not smaller than four. However, the contactable portion of the operating pedal may be positioned such that the above-described ratio is smaller than three.
In the eighth aspect of the invention, the connecting member has the deformable portion, so that bending, buckling or other plastic deformation takes place necessarily in the deformable portion when the pedal bracket and the reinforcement member of the vehicle are displaced relative to each other. The deformable portion is configured to have a lower degree of rigidity so as to be more likely to be deformable, than the other portion of the connecting member and the pedal bracket. The deformable portion may be provided, for example, by forming a through-hole, an aperture, a cutout or a groove in the corresponding portion, adapting a width or thickness of the corresponding portion to be smaller than that of the other portion of the connecting member, or forming a plurality of beads on a circumferential surface of the corresponding portion. It is noted that the deformable portion may be formed integrally with the other portion of the connecting member, or may be formed independently of the other portion of the connecting member so that the independently formed deformable portion is attached to the other portion by a welding, a riveting or other suitable means.